"We hope that the Maritime Silk Road International Arts Festival will become an important platform for the inheritance and promotion of the Silk Road spirit and for building the cultural Silk Road," said Wang Xudong, director of the Palace Museum, at the opening ceremony of the festival, the fifth of its kind, in Quanzhou, Fujian province on Friday.

"We aim to engage in comprehensive, multilevel, and broad cultural and artistic exchanges and cooperation with more countries and regions, and build a bridge that fosters mutual understanding and connections among peoples," Wang said.

The ceremony featured a captivating array of performances, including singing, dancing, traditional opera, acrobatics and musical drama presented by artists from home and abroad.

The performances were linked with scenes of world heritage sites in Quanzhou, where China Central Television host Ren Luyu discussed the role of a modern-day traveler alongside prominent figures with close historical connections to Quanzhou.

"I always take great interest in cultural exchanges. During this performance, I saw some traditional opera, especially the Gaojia opera. I am very interested and hope to have the opportunity to go and see it more," said Shintaro Hirahara, who led the OrganWorks Dance Troupe from Japan to perform at the opening ceremony. He choreographed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Wang Dahao, one of the performers from the Quanzhou Nanyin Inheritance Center, said: "I think this event is very creative. It comprehensively showcases Quanzhou's maritime culture, and presents the glorious millennium-old culture of Quanzhou from a global perspective."

This event marks the commencement of the International Arts Festival which runs from Friday to Wednesday in Quanzhou. The festival will put on display various arts events including Nanyin — a traditional musical performance genre of people in southern Fujian province — puppet shows and exhibitions featuring carving art and intangible cultural heritage along the Maritime Silk Road.

The festival, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Fujian provincial government, is held biannually in Quanzhou, the key point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road and a World Heritage Site.

Li Hezi in Quanzhou, Fujian contributed to this story.